Since we work in construction, we sometimes take our safety for granted. There is danger around us every day. We take chances, cut corners or bypass requirements to get the job done. This has worked in the past, and no one got hurt. Well, not often anyways. We see the stories on the news and think about how it could have been us involved in the accident. Please remember that nothing we do is worth you getting hurt. Our employees are the most important part of our company.If you ever get the feeling that you need to take chances to get something done, step back and rethink it. Don’t take that chance. If you are a supervisor, make sure what message you are sending. Do workers think you want them to cut corners? Is production ahead of safety and quality? The most common things we hear after an accident are:

I was in a hurry

I was distracted

I was only exposed for a few minutes

I didn’t think I would get hurt

I knew better

One of our biggest concerns in civil work is having workers on the ground near heavy equipment. We have had some near misses, and we have had accidents in recent years. What is the safe distance to keep back from heavy equipment? Two feet? five feet? Could you still be hit by a swinging bucket, could you get away in time if the equipment malfunctioned or the operator lost control? We need operators and workers on the ground to keep clear of each other. Is 10 feet an unreasonable distance to put between a 200 pound worker and a 20,000 pound machine? Don’t approach a machine until the operator puts it in a safer state, bucket on the ground, blade down, etc.At no time do we want workers to be in danger from heavy equipment. You’ve heard it all before, make eye contact with operator, wait for them to acknowledge you, don’t pass behind or in the blind spot of the equipment. Don’t get under or near a suspended load, which can be pipe on rigging, rebar or lumber on forks, or even equipment/buckets passing over your head. If you are in a trench, no one and no machine should be above you.Working unsafely and getting away with it meant that you were lucky in the past. We don’t want you to be lucky, we want you to be good. There is never a good time to have an accident, it will have a horrible impact on you and your family at any time of the year. It is not unusual to have accident and injury rates go up when approaching the holidays. People get distracted with holiday preparations, money issues, and some people face depression. All of these things can take focus away from the tasks being performed.You all have made a big difference in our safety record. Three years ago, Delta had 23 recordable accidents, two years ago it was 14. Last year we had 4 recordable accidents, and two this year. This happened because everyone is helping do their part. Workers are looking for and correcting hazards, turning in defective equipment, and watching out for each other. Supervisors are planning out the work, communicating to workers and doing their oversight of the projects. Management is providing resources for equipment and training that is vital to a healthy and safe company. The quality of our work has improved, and morale is better when you have a safe jobsite.We can reach the goal of zero injuries, but it takes constant attention. We cannot let the little things slide because they become bigger issues. Each strap left lying on the ground, each nail sticking out of a board, every time we rush and skip an inspection, or use a defective tool, we are counting on being lucky. Don’t think we are good enough already, there is always room for improvement. We are not injury free, but we could be. Safety, Quality, Production. Nothing we do is worth you getting hurt.